It is not yet uhuru for convicted felon Janusz Walus even after Chief Justice Zondo set the motion for his parole. He was stabbed in a South African prison recently, affirming the belief that many are not happy with his parole.
Janusz Walus had murdered the communist chief Chris Hani in 1993, just around the period when South Africa was about to hold its first-ever multiracial elections. He was sentenced to death for the crime, but his sentence was commuted to life in prison after South Africa abolished the death penalty.
The motive for the crime was unclear, but speculations were rife that it was meant to provoke racial tensions and truncate the elections.
Janusz Walus had served decades in prison for his crime, but when he was granted parole this month, many South Africans objected, insisting he should rot in jail. Chris Hani’s family had also objected to his parole.
Walus, 69, was reportedly stabbed by a fellow prisoner but is said to be in a stable condition. Prison officials confirmed the stabbing incident while also noting they are providing necessary care for him.
Until his death, Hani was a staunch anti-apartheid advocate. Thus, his killing evokes deep emotions in South Africans.
